Best Burgers in Austin

Thrillist occasionally produces great content about Austin, and a series of “bests” in Austin has really done well with it. Recently they posted a list of the 25 burgers to eat before you die (no comment as to whether eating these 25 burgers might hasten your demise). There’s just something about great food and consistent preparation that appeals to process people. Thoughts on the burgers from the list that I’ve tried:

Hopdoddy: +1. This is, in my opinion, the best burger in Austin. Thrillist calls it “the Franklin Barbecue of burger joints”. The biggest complaint from BPM practitioners is that they have one of the craziest processes for ordering and seating guests that you’ve ever seen.

Second Bar + Kitchen’s Congress Burger: +1. This is an amazing burger, and if it isn’t amazing enough, you can add fried egg, pork belly and/or foie gras. (not to mention other possibilities). The only downside is that you will need the knife and fork to eat it.

Top Notch – hit or miss, but when they get it right, it is a fantastic burger.

Clark’s Oyster Bar: +1. Surprisingly, they make not only a great steak, but a great burger to go with your oysters.

P Terry’s Double with Cheese: Is there any other way to order?

Shake Shack: I admit, the Lockhart Link Burger is great. And too filling. Thanks to Kreuz Market jalapeno cheese sausage this one is amazing.

Salt & Time’s Butcher Burger – as good as it sounds. It is all about the meat and the bun.

I have a lot more work to do to get to the rest of the list! … and Thrillist didn’t stop there, they also have a list of best brunch spots in Austin. Out of the list of great places they cited, only one of them was a place I’ve tried for brunch though I’ve been to most of the others for dinner: Wu Chow. This is the high end version of Dim Sum. But if you want something with a more appropriate budget, you’ll find less exacting fare at Shanghai and New Fortune, both outside of the core Downtown area.